ASPEN, Colo.—The oil and gas industry said land closures and increased regulations being considered for White River National Forest would make drilling uncompetitive by limiting the ability of companies to expand use of existing wells and shutting off other opportunities.

The complaints were filed in response to a U.S. Forest Service plan to overhaul outdated rules from 1993.

Three oil industry trade groups contend the Forest Service analysis is aimed at restricting oil and gas development, the Aspen Times reported Tuesday, citing industry comments it had obtained.

“There is no alternative that allows for reasonable oil and natural gas development to take place in the White River National Forest and the only difference among the alternatives is the level of restrictions imposed on development,” the Western Energy Alliance of Denver; Public Land Advocacy, of Aurora; and Western Slope Oil and Gas Association of Grand Junction noted in their objections.

The three organizations asked the Forest Service to include an alternative that provides a proper balance between responsible oil and natural gas development and resource conservation in the 2.27-million-acre forest.

The Forest Service is proposing to close oil and gas leasing on 800,000 acres and close another 1.2 million acres through management direction. That would leave about 260,000 acres open for leasing.

The plan also could affect management of public lands in the Thompson Divide area of central Colorado, where conservationists and oil companies are battling over drilling. The agency is considering restrictions on facilities that can be built on the surface.

The trade groups contend that companies already operating in the forest won’t have incentive to expand existing fields under the forest Service proposal.

“By closing vast areas to new leasing, either through outright closures or closures through management directives, the (draft environmental impact statement) would compromise many of these investments and may force operators to let leases expire without the opportunity for reissuance unless they accept far more stringent operating restrictions on those leases,” the trade groups told the Forest Service.

The industry groups said the move would hurt energy prices at a time when the American public is becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of energy it imports.

The Forest Service isn’t scheduled to release a decision until next year.

The owners of Boulder’s Sterling University Peaks apartments, who this summer were cited for illegally subdividing 92 bedrooms in the complex, have reached an agreement to settle the case for $410,000, the city announced Thursday.